Three Amigos December Blog Hop

Welcome to the Three Amigos Blog hop.  We are three Close to My Heart Independent Consultants with a love for stamping and scrapping and would like to share our creative ideas with you.  On the 3rd of each month we feature a different CTMH product and create a card, layout, or other project.  There are only three stops on this hop so it will only take a few minutes to hop through.

This month we are featuring products from the new Seasonal Expressions book. I decided to take the Heartstrings Workshop on the Go cards up a notch. The kit includes a D-size stamp set, Stuck On You Puffies, and Pixie Extra Thick Twine.

The workshop card were nice as designed, but with a few added elements, I think they really stand out. On the first card, I created a front panel that is slightly smaller than the card base. I heat embossed the heart and the sentiment using Slate and Lagoon Pigment Inks and clear embossing powder. The panel is adhered to the front of the card with Thin 3-D Foam Tape. The heat embossing adds a little shine and dimension to the stamped images.

I heat embossed the sentiment on the second card as well, then added a few sequins dressed up with Red Shimmer Trim and Liquid Glass.

The third card also has a panel that is slightly smaller than the card base. I used the Damask Embossing Folder to create an elegant background for the sentiment piece. I added liquid glass to the petals of the roses and pink glitz gel to the hearts.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hop over to Lisa's blog to see what she created this month.

Supplies:

G1090 Heartstrings WOTG

Z2173 Slate Ink Pad

Z2195 Lagoon Ink Pad

Z2644 Pixie Ink Pad

Z2503 Basics Mini Pigment Pad set (Slate)

Z2501 Adventure Mini Pigment Pad set (Lagoon)

Z2088 Ranger Clear Super Fine Embossing Powder (I used our retired clear detail embossing powder)

Z555 Craft Heater

Z1848 Red Shimmer Trim

Z1927 Damask Embossing Folder

Z679 Liquid Glass

Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape

Pink Glitz Gel (Retired)

Hole punch

Another FUNN Challenge

Just before Thanksgiving, I received FUNN mail from Mary Gunn containing December SOTM/Heartstrings mini kits for a FUNN team challenge. My kit included a 6x6 piece of white daisy cardstock, two 3x6 pieces and one 1x6 piece of Heartstrings background & texture paper, a 3" piece of the arrow zip strip, stamped and colored images from the Cutie Pie Stamp of the Month, a puffy heart from the Chalk It Up assortment, and a sticky note from the My Crush In the Pink assortment.

I added a few scraps of Flaxen cardstock, a small length of the new Pixie Extra Thick Twine (LOVE!) and a tiny piece of Pink Shimmer Trim.

I messed up part of the white cardstock and ended up cutting it down to 3x6 to use a a base for the tag. I used the scallop punch to dress up the bottom edges of the tag base and front flap.

The inside of the tag has space to sign or write a little note. Wouldn't this tag look adorable on a package for your little cutie pie? Totes!

Thanks for stopping by today! You can find the Heartstrings Paper Pack and Pixie Extra Thick Twine in the Seasonal Expressions book along with tons of other fabulous products! Be sure to come back and check out the Three Amigos Blog Hop tomorrow!

Cyber Monday and Happy December!

So much to share today!

1. Cyber Monday CTMH Special- Time Sensitive- TODAY ONLY!
All CTMH Cricut Collections are 20% off today!

2. Deal of the Decade- now through December 31, 2014

CTMH is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the introduction of My Acrylix stamps.

When you make a $50 order in December, you qualify to purchase as many C-size or D-size stamps sets featured in the Annual Inspirations Idea Book for only $10 each.

3. New Seasonal Expressions- starts today through March 31, 2015

Forty pages full of new products and ideas from CTMH!

4. December Stamp of the Month- Cutie Pie- now through December 31, 2014

You can purchase the SOTM for only $5 with a $50 order! Come back tomorrow to see a cute card challenge from my upline, Mary Gunn!

5. Snowhaven Shopping List for January Workshop

Now is the perfect time to order your supplies for the January Scrapbook Workshop!

Supplies needed:

X7188B Snowhaven Paper Pack

X7188C Snowhaven Complements

Z3024 White Shimmer Trim (from the NEW Seasonal Expressions)

Z2009 Red Enamel Hearts

Layouts will be available soon!

6. Drawing for Heartstrings Paper Pack and Complements- now through December 31st.

When you make a $50 purchase now through December 31, 2014, your name will be entered into a drawing to WIN the NEW Heartstrings Paper Pack and Complements featured in Seasonal Expressions. I will draw for a winner EACH time I get $300 in sales. After I draw, the sales tally starts over!

Three Amigos November Blog Hop

Welcome to the Three Amigos Blog hop.  We are three Close to My Heart Independent Consultants with a love for stamping and scrapping and would like to share our creative ideas with you.  On the 3rd of each month we feature a different CTMH product and create a card, layout, or other project.  There are only three stops on this hop so it will only take a few minutes to hop through.

This month we are featuring the new Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge. I fell in love with the "hello" card on page 18 of the Annual Inspirations Idea Book and decided to make a similar version using the Pretty Petals stamp set.

I cut this sleeve card at 5 1/2" using the "1" key. The sentiment is from a pocket card design on the same key cut at 4". The card front is backed with whisper cardstock. Using the back side of the front cut-out, I sponged slate ink to add dimension. I used all of the flower stamps and one of the center stamps to create the various designs on the card. The large flower stamp has a different design on each petal (see the palm leaf, heart, and swirl designs?) The dark purple glitter paper adds a little sparkle and the grey epoxy bubbles add a little bling. The sentiment is popped up using thin 3-D foam tape.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hop on over to Lisa's blog to see what she created this month!

Supplies Used:

C1599 Pretty Petals

X7190B Brushed Paper Packet

X5929 Whisper Cardstock

X5758 Sunset Cardstock

X5769 Thistle Cardstock

X5643 Chocolate Cardstock

Z2644 Pixie Ink Pad

Z2640 Thistle Ink Pad

Z2173 Slate Ink Pad

Z1935 Black and Grey Epoxy Bubbles

Z1989 Slate Diagonal Striped Ribbon

Z1992 Purple Glitter Paper

Z3107 Artfully Sent Collection

Three Amigos October Blog Hop

Welcome to the Three Amigos Blog hop.  We are three Close to My Heart Independent Consultants with a love for stamping and scrapping and would like to share our creative ideas with you.  On the 3rd of each month we feature a different CTMH product and create a card, layout, or other project.  There are only three stops on this hop so it will only take a few minutes to hop through.

This month we are featuring the Hostess Rewards Stamp Sets shown on pages 5-10 in the Annual Inspirations Idea Book. Become a hostess and earn products free or at a spectacular discount beginning once the order total reaches $150. I used the Better with a Friend stamp set featured on page 9 of the Idea Book. My Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge arrived the day I sat down to start my project, so I decided to use both for my card. 

The base of the card uses the Scene function on the "5" key cut at the recommended size. The foxes are cut from the Icon function on the same key. I cut the paper ribbon from Pathfinding paper using the Artiste cartridge.

The darkest brown from the Brown & Tan Glitter Paper was used to back the cut-out tree trunks. I tried several different patterned papers, but the glitter paper kept the focus on the two adorable foxes. I used scraps of the Pathfinding paper to back the ears, hearts, and tails, and solid cardstock behind the eyes and paws. A little Liquid Glass on the hearts and a Rosewood sparkle on the bow add to the shimmer of the glitter paper. You're probably wondering where I used the "Better with a Friend" stamp set.

The sentiment perfectly fits this card! I lined the inside of the card with more Pathfinding paper. The sentiment is layered on two mats, all of which are cut from the Artfully Sent cartridge (Icon Function, key "l", real dial size). Matting the sentiment makes it a focal point.

Everything IS better with a friend! Now hop over to my dear friend Lisa's blog to see what she created for you!

Supplies:

D1608 Better with a Friend

X7186B Pathfinding Paper Packet

Z2111 Chocolate Ink Pad

Z3017 Artfully Sent Cricut Collection

Z1790 Artiste Cricut Collection

Z1830 Brown & Tan Glitter Paper

Z1857 Rosewood Mini Medley Accents

Z679 Liquid Glass

Z1151 3-D Foam Tape

Chalk It Up Workshop Layout

My workshop layout started out like the design in the WOTG guide. As I worked with the pictures I intended to use, my layout morphed into something new.

These pictures were just begging to be scrapbooked after spending years in storage. We are always reminded to include ourselves in our scrapbooks. It's important to share our story. My friend, Betty, challenged a group of us to create a layout about us before we were married and before we became parents. This layout is just the beginning of my story. My girls already love it!

These class compilations are one thing I missed while my girls were in school. My family moved to another state shortly after my Kindergarten year. Even though I don't remember a single name, I have fun looking at the pictures and wondering what became of them. I do remember walking to school with my big sister. We lived three houses away. I also remember that half the class was spent doing lessons and the other half was music and snack time.

The clusters of embellishments were fun to put together. I started with the ideas from the WOTG layout and built upon them.  If you look closely, you can see the spatter I sprayed on the sorbet cardstock to add subtle texture.

For the title piece, I decided to use a card from the Chalk It Up Picture My Life kit. I trimmed the card to fit my space. The composite picture on the opposite page details the location and date. The small first day of school picture holds other information beneath.

I used a small flip flap to hold the picture and add extra space for journaling. I cut a small window in the back of the mat to reveal my mother's handwriting. I just couldn't bear to cover it up.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you are inspired to include yourself in your scrapbooks because it's never too late to tell your story!

Cricut Artfully Sent

The new CTMH Cricut cartridge we've been waiting for, Artfully Sent, is available to order now!

Loaded with over 700 images and fonts, Artfully Sent will make cardmaking easier and more fun! You'll find over 25 themed cards and 5 different card styles.

You can watch a video highlighting Artfully Sent here.

Don't delay, order yours from my website today!

Three Amigos September Blog Hop

Welcome to the Three Amigos Blog hop.  We are three Close to My Heart Independent Consultants with a love for stamping and scrapping and would like to share our creative ideas with you.  On the 3rd of each month we feature a different CTMH product and create a card, layout, or other project.  There are only three stops on this hop so it will only take a few minutes to hop through.

This month we are featuring the special stamp set celebrating National Stamping Month, #30yearsofhappy. The last two weeks of August were especially busy for me this year shopping, packing, and moving my girls off to college. As I was removing the tags from some of their new clothing, the creative wheels in my head began to turn. The altering possibilities were endless. Since my studio time was limited, I kept my creations fairly simple. I designed the first tag from an extra blank Cricut-cut tag I had in my scrap folder. I stamped a border of the "it's your day" image above the gold shimmer trim and lagoon washi tape.  I paper-pieced the gift and added slate diagonal striped ribbon and flamingo dots for texture.

The next two tags are altered tags from clothing my girls purchased. I have before and after photos of each.

I was going to add more bling to this tag, but the simplicity of it appealed to me.

My youngest is studying environmental science in college. Altering and re-purposing the tags is a great way to keep them out of the landfills. She'll be so proud!

Thanks for hopping by! Hop over to Lisa's Blog to see what she created for you.

Supplies:

CC1030 #30yearsofhappy

M1030 A Little Gift

White Daisy Cardstock

Z2165 Juniper Ink Pad

Z2173 Slate Ink Pad

Z2196 Smoothie Ink Pad

Z2010 White Enamel Stars

Z1934 Flamingo Dots

Z1988 Black Striped Twill Ribbon

Z1989 Slate Diagonal Striped Ribbon

Z1985 Gold Shimmer Trim

Z1918 Teal Shimmer Trim

Z1809 Black Shimmer Trim

Z2004 Lagoon Hearts Washi Tape

Z1151 3-D Foam Tape

Smoothie Bakers Twine (Retired)

Clothing tags

Three Amigos August Blog Hop

Welcome to the Three Amigos Blog hop.  We are three Close to My Heart Independent Consultants with a love for stamping and scrapping and would like to share our creative ideas with you.  On the 3rd of each month we feature a different CTMH product and create a card, layout, or other project.  There are only three stops on this hop so it will only take a few minutes to hop through.

This month we are sharing projects featuring the August Stamp of the Month, What A Hoot!  If you love owls, you'll want this stamp set.  Instead of sticking with the Halloween theme of the stamp set, I decided to make a birthday card.

My card features several new products from the Annual Inspirations Idea Book that just went live on August 1st.  The Confetti Wishes paper pack is full of fun, bright colors including our new Thistle and Canary additions to the Whimsy collection.  The owl is colored in with the new ShinHan Touch Twin Markers.  I added bitty sparkles to the eyes and punched confetti dots to the belly.  The background is embossed with our new Woodgrain Embossing Folder.

My little owl friend is supposed to look like he's jumping out through the paper.  I wanted to use the Adhesive Springs to give him a little movement, but I couldn't find them for the life of me.  I used a double layer of 3-D foam tape to pop him out of the card.  The "SURPRISE!" letters are also popped up with 3-D foam tape.

The picture isn't great, but I wanted to show how I decorated the inside of the card as well.

Thanks for hopping by.  Hop on over to Lisa's Blog to see what she created for you.

Supplies:

S1408 What A Hoot!

B1416 Keyboard Alphabet

B1442 Belated Birthday

X7189B Confetti Wishes Paper Packet

1385 White Daisy Cardstock

Z2105 Black Ink Pad

Z2192 Pacifica Ink Pad

Z2640 Thistle Ink Pad

Z1996 Woodgrain Embossing Folder

Z2452 ShinHan Touch Twin Y222, Golden Yellow Marker

Z2462 ShinHan Touch Twin P282 Peony Purple Marker

Z2445 ShinHan Touch Twin YR29 Barely Beige Marker

Z1151 3-D Foam Tape

Z1263 Bitty Sparkles

Small Hole Punch (Fiskars)

Get Ready To Be Wowed!

The new Annual Inspriations Idea Book is here with over 250 new products!  Be sure to check it out today!

Look at the adorable August Stamp of the Month, What a Hoot!  It can be yours for only $5 with a $50 purchase.

Wait!  There's more! If you love the Picture My Life scrapbooking program, you are going to love this special.

Have fun looking at all of the great new products.  Be sure to check back on August 3rd for the Three Amigos Blog Hop!

Friendship Warms The Heart

Yesterday, I walked into my studio determined to straighten it up.  I thought the clutter hampered my ability to be creative.  While putting tools and supplies back into place, I decided to turn on the Cricut and cut some images for a stamp set that debuts in the new Annual Inspiration Idea Book on August 1st.  Once the blade stopped and I removed the images, the creative juices began to flow.  The resulting card made me so happy!

I instantly fell in love with the new Snowhaven paper pack when I received my Idea Book, and I knew the Polar Bear Holiday stamp set would be the perfect match.  I colored the polar bear image using our ink pads and the alcohol blending pen.

The Cricut-cut banner shape is stamped using the coordinating new Bodacious Banners stamp set in Glacier ink, then over-stamped with the sentiment in black.  I used 3-D foam tape to raise the polar bear image up for dimension.

You'll find a few new ribbon selections in the new Idea Book as well.  For this card, I used the Black Striped Twill Ribbon.  The ribbon has an off-white background with two black stripes. The off-white color clashed with the white base of my card.  I colored the ribbon with Glacier ink, cut the width in half to make it narrower, and tied it to my popped up image.

Thanks for taking the time to check out my card!

Supplies Used:

C1557 Polar Bear Holiday

*D1607 Bodacious Banners

*X7188B Snowhaven Paper Pack

1386 Black Cardstock

Z2105 Black Stamp Pad

Z2172 Whisper Stamp Pad

Z2116 Cranberry stamp Pad

*Z2641 Glacier Stamp Pad

Z1801 Alcohol Blending Pen (retiring July 31, 2014)

X254 White Daisy Cards and Envelopes

*Z1988 Black Striped Twill Ribbon

Z1799 Silver Shimmer Trim

Z1263 Bitty Sparkles

Z11513-D Foam Tape

Z1686 Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge

9042 Make It From Your Heart, Vol. 2

* Items with an asterisk will be available in the new Annual Inspirations Idea Book on August 1, 2014

Three Amigos July Blog Hop

Welcome to the Three Amigos July Blog Hop.  We are three Close to My Heart Consultants with a love for Stamping and Scrapping and would like to share our creative ideas with you. Each month we feature a different CTMH product and create a card, layout or other project. There are only 3 stops on this hop so it will only take a few minutes to hop through.

This month we are sharing projects made with the Picture My Life pocket cards.  June was a particularly busy month for me with my daughter graduating, winding down 15 years of volunteer work with PTSA and Girl Scouts, preparing for company, and getting ready to travel to Kansas (we left the day after the graduation ceremony).  Needless to say, I was unable to get a fresh new project photographed to share.  Since this particular hop landed on a Thursday (think TBT), I thought I would share a project I created with the Skylark collection.  I used the PML cards on my layout to highlight the title and to create a bit of journaling space.

The cards have designs printed on both sides.  While I adhered my cards directly to my layout, you could insert the cards into flip flaps to showcase both sides and create space for extra journaling or pictures.

When I return from my trip, I will photograph the card I made for this hop and get it posted.

Thanks for hopping by.  Hop over to Lisa’s Blog to see what she created for you.

Three amigos June Blog Hop

Welcome to the Three Amigos CTMH Mini-Blog Hop. We are three Close to My Heart Consultants with a love for Stamping and Scrapping and would like to share our creative ideas with you. Each month we feature a different CTMH product and create a card, layout or other project. There are only 3 stops on this hop so it will only take a few minutes to hop through.

Our Theme for this month's project is "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,"  but not necessarily wedding themed.  I saw a layout on Pinterest from embellish kits that I knew would work perfectly with the Jubilee collection.

The banner is "hanging" from the title with Colonial White Waxy Flax (something old).  I love how the waxy flax grabs the paper and stays put, allowing me to make the loops without using adhesive.  The Jubilee papers, Compliments, and Topiary Ribbon are all "something new."  I recently borrowed a Hello Kitty cricut cartridge from Donna and used it to cut out the cute little cherries.  You'll see lots of "something blue" in the layout too.

Here's a closer look at the small cluster on the right page.

Thanks for hopping by!  Now hop on over to Lisa's blog to see what she created for you.

Supplies:

G1076 Jubilee WOTG

X7191C Jubilee Compliments

B1416 Keyboard Uppercase Alphabet

S1211 Capture the Date (retired)

Z2503 Cashmere Pigment Ink

Z2116 Cranberry Ink

Z2130 Indian Corn Blue Ink

Z2155 Topiary Ink

Z1835 Tiny Type Epoxy Alphabet

Z1929 Topiary Mini Chevron Ribbon

Colonial White Waxy Flax (Retired)

Antique Copper Brads (Retired)

Three Amigos May Blog Hop

Welcome to the Three Amigos CTMH Mini-Blog Hop. We are three Close to My Heart Consultants with a love for Stamping and Scrapping and would like to share our creative ideas with you. Each month we feature a different CTMH product and create a card, layout or other project. There are only 3 stops on this hop so it will only take a few minutes to hop through.

This month we are sharing projects featuring the Free To Be Me paper pack to celebrate National Scrapbooking Month.  The paper pack features six B&T Duos, six sheets of embossed cardstock, and two sheets of embossed vellum.  The paper pack is only $5 with a $50 purchase during the month of May.

I decided to make a mini album to share this month.  The album is held closed with a belly band that I decorated with a couple feathers and my daughter's first initial.

The album opens up to three sections.  The first section has a pocket that holds a tag.

The middle and right sections have space to include pictures and a little bit of journaling.

This is what the album looks like when it is fully opened.  I used the gold polka-dot embossed vellum to create a pocket for a journaling tag.

Thanks for hopping by!  Now hop on over to Lisa's blog to see what she created.

Supplies:

Free To Be Me Paper Pack

Seafoam Cardstock (Retired)

1385 White Daisy Cardstock

1386 Black Cardstock

X5927 Ruby Cardstock

Z2118 Desert Sand Ink Pad

Z2167 Creme Brulee Ink Pad

Z2165 Juniper Ink Pad

Z2105 Black Ink Pad

D1524 Frame it Up

C1584 Feathers

E1029 Marquee Uppercase

A1160 This is Good (Hostess Exclusive)

Z1912 Corner Rounder